Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), Majority Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Monday announced he will not run for reelection in 2018.
Sen. Greenleaf, who was recently called “a giant of the legislature” by The Caucus, has served with distinction in the state legislature since 1977, starting his career in the House of Representatives and moving to the Senate in 1979.
Sen. Greenleaf is known as one of Harrisburg’s most capable and independent-minded legislators, someone willing and able to work with all sides when it comes to addressing important public policy issues.
It is in this spirit that he became the prime sponsor of more bills that became law than any other member of the State Legislature (per the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau.)
Sen. Greenleaf’s office also notes that he was a key participant on 155 other pieces of legislation that also became law but did not carry his name as prime sponsor.
As the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Greenleaf is well-known for his efforts to protect the people of Pennsylvania.
He is the author of several constitutional amendments; one, implemented in 1996 after overwhelming voter approval, allows child witnesses to testify via closed-circuit television. Sen. Greenleaf also sponsored “Megan’s Law” here in Pennsylvania to help protect children from sexual predators.
Sen. Greenleaf is also the architect of Pennsylvania’s “Puppy Lemon Law” as well as the state’s smoking ban in restaurants and numerous other public spaces. He has also been the driving force behind criminal justice reforms as well as criminal rehabilitation efforts aimed at reducing recidivism and helping returning defendants to be productive citizens.
“Serving the people of Pennsylvania—especially the citizens of Montgomery and Bucks Counties—has been my greatest honor,” Sen. Greenleaf said. “While I will miss the privilege of being a strong voice for justice for all people as a legislator, it does not mean I cannot continue to help others in our community in a different way.”
Sen. Greenleaf, who holds a black belt in taekwondo and played basketball at the University of Pennsylvania, said that he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, children and grandchildren in the coming years.
“May family has been a source of constant support during my time in the legislature, and I look forward to spending more time with them and supporting them in all their life’s endeavors,” Sen. Greenleaf stated.
Sen. Greenleaf is also well-known for spending time throughout the communities he represents—meeting with civic organizations and constituents, and even simply attending local youth sporting events to talk to residents and hear their concerns.
Throughout his tenure, Greenleaf has also maintained a door-knocking schedule that has seen him visit local homes more than 100,000 times.
“My mantra has always been that there is no Republican or Democrat idea, that ideas shouldn’t be pigeon holed as liberal or conservative. Ideas that are good for our community deserve to be supported,” Sen. Greenleaf explained. “Listening to residents who don’t live in the legislative echo chamber is a good way to find out what those ideas are, and has helped me immensely over my career.”
“I’m not ready to close the book on my life just yet,” Greenleaf concluded. “Not running for re-election is simply the closing of one chapter of my life, but it begins another that I hope to be just as exciting and fulfilling.”
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